Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dar'a Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dar'a

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $205 in Dar'a.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $396 in Dar'a.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $587 in Dar'a.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 625% more expensive than Dar'a, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Dar'a is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$3.09 SYP 347

320.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$15.28 SYP 1,719

247.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$1.01 SYP 114

271.29%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.74 SYP 83.1

112.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.49 SYP 55.0

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$0.51 SYP 57.4

217.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$0.29 SYP 32.27

834.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.23 SYP 139

52.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$1.16 SYP 131

116.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$4.11 SYP 463

145.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.15 SYP 354

163.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$6.75 SYP 759

76.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$0.31 SYP 35.17

822.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.23 SYP 139

42.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$0.59 SYP 65.9

252.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$0.31 SYP 35.03

535.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$0.38 SYP 43.06

468.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$0.24 SYP 26.87

808.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$0.28 SYP 31.50

396.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.48 SYP 54.2

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$2.18 SYP 246

92.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.27 SYP 30.66

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$1.46 SYP 164

-79.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$4.06 SYP 456

33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.74 SYP 196

-22.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.9K MX$328.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K MX$402.8K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.82 MX$710

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.50 MX$479

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$3.43 SYP 386

1457.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$5.83 SYP 656

351.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$2.94 SYP 330

113.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,588

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$10.13 SYP 1,140

460.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$24.55 SYP 2,761

82.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$16.75 SYP 1,884

544.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$49.29 SYP 5,545

1928.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$35.18 SYP 3,957

1663.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$201 SYP 22.6K

964.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$124 SYP 13.9K

896.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dar'a: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $49.29 in Dar'a. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Dar'a for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $87.0 per month, with Dar'a cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Dar'a: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar'a wins on cost – living expenses run 625% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dar'a the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $307 in Dar'a to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $49.29 in Dar'a. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $205 in Dar'a – a 625% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 228% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $205 in Dar'a versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dar'a but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dar'a the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dar'a delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dar'a hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dar'a gentler on the wallet – expenses run 625% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.